Barbie Hsu death: Taiwanese star of Meteor Garden dies aged 48

Taiwanese histrion Barbie Hsu, champion known for her relation successful the deed 2001 tv play Meteor Garden, has died of influenza-related pneumonia. She was 48.

Hsu, who is popularly known arsenic Big S by her fans, died portion connected abrogation with her household successful Japan, according to section quality reports.

“Thanks for each the concern. Over the Chinese New Year period, our full household travelled to Japan for a holiday, and my astir beloved, kindest elder sister Barbie caught influenza-related pneumonia and has unluckily near us,” her sister Dee said successful a connection shared with Taiwanese media, according to a translation by The Straits Times.

“I americium thankful to beryllium her sister successful this life, and grateful that we person taken attraction of each different and kept each different institution each these years. I volition ever beryllium thankful to her and retrieve her. Shan (Barbie Hsu’s nickname), remainder successful peace. We emotion you always. Together, retrieve forever.”

Hsu, on with her sister, archetypal started successful the amusement manufacture astatine 17 with their popular radical SOS, but it was her relation successful Meter Garden that made her a household sanction adjacent successful Philippines, Indonesia, and Thailand.

Meteor Garden, archetypal released successful 2001, was the Mandarin-language tv adaptation of Japanese manga bid Boys Over Flowers by Yoko Kamio and became wildly fashionable successful Taiwan and Hong Kong, arsenic good arsenic countries similar Philippines, South Korea, Indonesia, and Thailand.

Hsu starred arsenic Shancai, a teen from a middle-income inheritance who attends a backstage schoolhouse among children from affluent families. She starred alongside Jerry Yan, Vanness Wu, Ken Chu, and Vic Chou, who went connected to signifier Taiwanese lad set F4 due to the fact that of the taste interaction of the show.

Hsu would spell connected to prima successful respective tv bid and films similar the play Mars (2004), fearfulness movie The Ghost Inside (2005), and Connected (2008), a remake of the Chris Evans starrer-Cellular.

Chu posted a achromatic surface connected his Instagram stories connected Monday, followed by a radical photograph from Meteor Garden. Local media reported that helium wrote “What a bolt from the blue” connected Weibo.

Taiwanese tv big and histrion Aya Liu wrote connected Weibo, according to section media reports, that she had met Hsu the erstwhile month.

“I didn't deliberation that would beryllium our past gathering. Rest successful peace, the astir beauteous queen,” she wrote.

Fans posted tributes to Hsu connected societal media, mourning her death.

“Meteor Garden raised an full procreation of Asians. Shancai's quality served arsenic a blueprint for pistillate fictional movie/book characters aboriginal on. Thank you Barbie Hsu for giving beingness to Shancai and showing small girls that we could footwear ass too. May you RIP,” posted one fan.

“Here’s the beauteous and talented Barbie Hsu who raised an full procreation with her accomplishment and dedication. Rest successful bid my lovely,” wrote another.

Another instrumentality shared a video of Hsu’s accomplishment successful the Philippines astatine the tallness of her popularity, describing her arsenic an “icon” and a “cultural phenomenon”.

Hsu was joined to South Korean rapper Koo Jun Yup, professionally known arsenic DJ Koo, for astir 3 years. She is besides survived by her 2 children – a 10-year-old girl and an eight-year-old lad – by her archetypal hubby of 11 years, Chinese entrepreneur Wang Xiaofei.